


4am in the Hospital

by claimingtheanonymous



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Doctor Lily, Drunk Marauders, F/M, Footballer James, Marauders, jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-13 18:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14118417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claimingtheanonymous/pseuds/claimingtheanonymous
Summary: “Now, for such a pretty, young, doctor I’d have expected so much more and honestly, I’m just disappointed.” James told Lily watching her move about the room.“Just being honest. Now do you want to know the verdict?” She asked him placing a hand to her hip while the clipboard hung from the other.“Not sure I do. I think I need a new doctor.” James told her huffily, though there was a sly smile on his lips.“It’s 4am on a Sunday morning, you’re choices are really rather limited.” Lily told him with a roll of her eyes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first AU so please PLEASE review and give me your thoughts and opinions! Did I do this right? I dunno!?! Bu there will be a part 2 maybe 3!

Lily can’t quite believe the fuss that some of the nurses in the ER are causing because of some footballer that had been brought in little over five minutes ago.  
“Lily! No, seriously, if you ever read the gossip column’s you’d understand!” Dorcas hissed at Lily as she processed her paperwork at one of the computers at the nurses’ station, where apparently everyone had gathered to discuss the so-called beautiful specimen in one of the private rooms further up the hall.  
“Dor, please he can’t be that good looking.” Lily said with a roll of her eyes, fingers never ceasing their tapping of keys on the computer.  
“You have no idea! He’s also like the best footballer ever!” Frank said leaning over from the computer beside Lily. Both Lily and Dorcas looked at him in confusion, eyebrows pulled together and eyes wide.  
“What? I’m secure enough in my masculinity and my marriage that I can say that he is gor-geous.” He emphasised, giving one last quick tap on the keyboard before standing from the chair and walking down the hall, making an exaggerated show of fanning his face.  
Lily laughed and quickly typed the last few statements into her report before closing it down and stretching in her seat, hearing her joints popping in satisfaction.  
“I need you Dorcas!” Doctor McGonagall said sternly rushing by alongside a wheeling bed.  
“Well see you later.” Dorcas said cheerily before hopping off the desk and running down the hall after the patient.  
“Bye.” Lily called and followed Dorcas’ path down the hall at a much more leisurely pace to find out who her next patient would be.  
“Hi! Hey! Nurse” A husky voice called out from the room she was passing on the right, Lily turned to look in through the slatted blinds to see a young man laid out awkwardly on a bed waving his hand at her through the window. Lily moved forward a little more to the open door and leant against the jamb heavily with a sigh. She couldn’t count how many times she’d been called ‘nurse’ just because she was young, pretty and a woman, it was always just assumed. And it always grated on her making her teeth grind together as she put on her best fake smile.  
“Me?” Lily asked, a sarcastic tone creeping through onto her tongue as the words left her mouth. But as she looked at him she found her annoyance wane, just slightly. He was gorgeous. Beautiful even. Dark skin and bright brown eyes, his black hair mussed around his head so elegantly it looked as though it were styled though somehow Lily had an inkling that it wasn’t.  
“Ye…” The man was tall, one leg hanging from the bed as though he’d been attempting to get off and the pain had returned, his hand was pressed tightly to his ribs and his face portrayed pain. But that wasn’t all, his mouth was hanging open, the word ‘yes’ only half formed, his eyes widened slightly and quickly looked Lily up and down before reaching her own appreciative gaze once more. He coughed as though to clear his throat. “Yeah, you.” He said, his voice huskier again and the hand that had been holding his ribs raised to run through the soft looking hair on his head but he grimaced and dropped it back to the bed.  
“What can I do for you?” Lily asked and she could hear the tone of her own voice and how it had changed, become the one she used in bars or on dates with people she particularly fancied.  
“I uh…” He stumbled once more, eyes wandering again. “Listen I just wondered whether you’d be able to hurry the doctor along for me? I’ve been here for ages and he should definitely be checking me over by now.” He hurried the end as though embarrassed to be admitting weakness, but Lily couldn’t find it in herself to care, he’d said it again after all. ‘Doctor’ and ‘he’ without bothering to obviously notice that she was wearing the white coat of a doctor and the stethoscope around her neck.  
“The doctor?” She asked again, giving him the benefit of the doubt.  
“Yeah…”His voice was strained now, the pain showing through as he leant back against the pillows at the head of his bed.  
Lily shook her head and rolled her eyes as she turned away from the handsome man with a “sure.”  
She walked a little ways down the hall and through a set of doors to the next nurses station to pick up her next patient file attempting to stem her anger at the beautiful specimen in the private room and found that the gossip had still yet to die down.  
“He’s so beautiful!”  
“Did you hear that he’s going out with that American movie star? What’s her name? I really can’t remember.”  
“Fenna Zabini! Yeah I heard that too!”  
“Can you believe that he’s here though?”  
Lily rolled her eyes and grabbed the new patient chart that sat waiting for her and walked away from the decidedly boring chatter that seemed to be consuming the entire hospital.  
Walking back down the hall she slowly realised that the room number at the top of her sheet was getting closer, as was the room she had just abandoned the gorgeous footballer in. She came to his door once more and peered through to find his handsome face crumpled in pain as he lay still in that awkward position that she had left him in.  
With a knock on the open door and a cough to clear her throat Lily stepped back into the room and met his deep brown eyes as soon as they flickered open.  
“Hey Ginge, doc on the way then?” He groaned out as he attempted to move into a more comfortable position, failing miserably and falling back to the bed with a grunt.  
Lily cleared her throat once more with two delicate coughs before starting as she would any other new patient.  
“Hi Mr…” She looked down at the paperwork on her clipboard. “Potter. My name is Doctor Lily Evans and I’ll be looking after you on this fine Sunday morning. It says here you have come in today with 3 cracked and, maybe broken ribs.” She rhymed off quickly watching as realisation dawned on his face and his cheeks flushed gently underneath the dark skin, causing him to somehow look even more handsome, but Lily didn’t dwell on that note. The satisfaction she gained from his look of guilt was all she could think of, a smile lifting the corners of her lips as she watched him grapple with the knowledge.  
“What a fucking sexist pillock I am!” His eyes were wide with the apology, his cheeks growing darker still with the blood staining them. “I am so, so sorry! Honestly if my mum were here right now, she’d beat me within an inch of my life with her handbag, never mind the ribs!” He gesticulated then with the arm that had previously been holding his ribs and moaned out, taking hold of his ribs once more.  
“As she should.” Lily mumbled, not quietly enough for him not to hear and she listened as he chuckled at her and then groaned once more in pain.  
“I’m going to blame the shit ton of morphine they forced on me in the ambulance.” He mumbled, peering from beneath long dark lashes, his face reminding her of a child who knew they’d done something bad.  
Lily faltered from her regular routine and stated, “They’d never give you too much morphine Mr Potter.”  
“Yeah well, my mate got hold of the machine and gave me a couple of extra hits while taking some for himself.” He said mischievously with a shrug of his shoulders leaving Lily dumbfounded for a minute.  
She shook her head and closed the door behind her as she stepped further into the private room coming to the foot of the bed James was lying so uncomfortably on.  
“Now it says here that you jumped from a-,”  
“You really don’t have to to re-hash that you know I remember it quite well.”  
“moving piece of a canal lock and fell rib first onto the banking all the while inebriated. Is that right?” James had spoken over the top of Lily, embarrassment lacing his voice as Lily spoke in her clear, professional manner once more.  
“Yeah…” James mumbled closing his eyes, the blush continuing across his cheeks and down his neck and Lily followed its track. He really was very, very handsome.  
“Right well for starters lets get you on the bed properly shall we?” She asked clipping the board to the end of the bed before moving around to stand before him.  
He opened his eyes in panic and quickly had to focus on her. “Probably should…but it hurts.” He admitted.  
“Yeah well you don’t exactly look comfortable like that anyway so on three I want you to push yourself up and backwards on the bed ok?” She asked and placed a hand on his hip and one on his lower thigh, preparing herself to help haul his gangly limbs back onto the bed in the least intrusive way she could think of. Though her thoughts betrayed her as she felt the heat of his body through his clothing, felt the hard muscles that lay beneath.  
“Ok.” He said, eyes hardening and he moved so that his hands were flat against the bed and just before Lily began to count she noted how muscular his arms looked beneath the shirt he was wearing and wanted to hit herself in the head for being so distracted.  
“One, two, three, go.” Together they moved James so that his back was pressed against the soft cushions and both his legs were up on the bed. “There we go.” Lily said proudly as she stepped away, the warmth of his body beneath her hands leaving a tingling sensation in its absence.  
“Thanks, this is a much better way to lie down…who knew.” James joked while he rubbed at the ribs that had broken his fall earlier that morning.  
Lily gave in and chuckled at him as she moved herself to the end of the bed and looked once more at his charts.  
“So you’re vitals and everything are fine, just a little slow but that’s to be expected from the alcohol and you don’t need any fluids so that’s good. I’m going to need you to take your shirt off now so I can get a look at your ribs.” She kept her eyes on the papers as she told him and didn’t move them as she heard him begin to move on the bed, the sound of fabric being rustled around. One the movement had ceased she replaced the clipboard to the end of his bed and finally had to face him, she had a job to do, and to do it…she had to feel up a gorgeous half naked guy. Not her worst shift by a long shot.  
Looking at him laid out on the hospital bed, his dark skin on display to her made her breath stutter a fraction. He was really well muscled and the definition was clear as day in the brightly lit hospital room, his pecs were hard and strong and the muscles that ran down his abdomen really could send a girl into a tizzy.  
Lily took a deep breath, tearing her eyes from his body and back to his smirking face. She moved close to the side of his bed and rolled the sleeves of her doctors’ coat up as she tried her honest to god best not to blush under his watchful gaze.  
“Which side was it you fell on?” She asked taking some antibacterial and rubbing it into her hands.  
“This side.” James stated pointing and letting his fingers rub over where the beginnings of a bruise could be seen forming on his side.  
“Ooh yeah, that’s going to be nasty.” Lily told him moving closer and gently pressing her fingers to the ribs. His skin felt scalding against her fingertips and she felt him jump beneath her.  
“Sorry, too rough?” She asked looking up and noticing that his eyes were hooded in a way that made her breath catch.  
“No…just cold.” He told her with a charming smile.  
“Sorry.” She mumbled as she got back to work, feeling along the lines of his ribs, attempting to see whether any were broken while she thought only of the hard, hot heat of his body beneath her cool fingers.  
“You’re very gentle you know.” He commented making Lily feel the flush of her cheeks as she continued to studiously work on his ribs. “Much gentler than the check ups we get done at work.” He told her in a hurried manner.  
“Oh so you’re the infamous footballer everyone’s been harping on about.” Lily joked, knowing exactly who he was as the clipboard attached to the end of his bed had given a little information as to his right to a private room.  
“You mean you don’t recognise me?” James asked in mock horror, hand coming to rest at his chest and Lily watched in awe as the muscles beneath her fingers flexed and rippled.  
“Can’t say I’m really a football fan.” She said quickly moving her fingers further up his ribs making him chuckle and wriggle away. “Are you ticklish?” She asked looking into his bright eyes once more, a smile lighting her lips.  
“Skip that, you don’t like football?” He asked in true horror.  
“It’s just a bunch of pansies running across a field and falling down when one of their hairs fall out of their buns.” Lily told him truthfully, lifting her hands from his hot body and reaching back for the antibacterial before taking up James Potter’s clipboard once more and writing down her findings.  
“Now, for such a pretty, young, doctor I’d have expected so much more and honestly, I’m just disappointed.” James told Lily watching her move about the room.  
“Just being honest. Now do you want to know the verdict?” She asked him placing a hand to her hip while the clipboard hung from the other.  
“Not sure I do. I think I need a new doctor.” James told her huffily, though there was a sly smile on his lips.  
“It’s 4am on a Sunday morning, you’re choices are really rather limited.” Lily told him with a roll of her eyes.  
“Well, you’ll have to do then won’t you?” He said cocking his head to the side and once more let his gaze wander a little.  
“JAMES!” Came a roaring voice from beyond the door and then there was a ‘bang’ as the door was pulled instead of pushed.  
“Friend of yours?” Lily asked looking over her shoulder at the culprit of the noise. She looked back to find that James was looking more than a little exasperated though there was a definite smile on his lips.  
“Afraid so.” He said and guffawed loudly, looking past Lily at the long haired clown who had blown his cheeks up against the glass window of the door like a five year old.  
“Oh god.” Lily sighed as the door was finally opened by a handsome, man who was tall and gangly with soft brownish hair and a friendly and very intoxicated smile. After him, an equally inebriated, smaller and rounder counterpart came into the room pulling after him the gorgeous bloke, with long dark hair who was still laughing loudly at his own stupidity.  
“Jamsie m’boy!” Greeted the first intruder in a low, pleasant voice.  
“Remus…shouldn’t you all be waiting in-the-waiting-room.” Each word was punctuated by a nod of his head toward the door.  
“James how bloody dare you! We’ve been worried sick! I want to know whether your coach is going to fine me for incapacitating you. Also your mother says your dead meat.” The dark haired man prattled off quickly moving to sit in the seat beside the hospital bed and resting his dirty biker boots on the once clean sheets..  
“I have yet to find out whether you have caused any fatal injuries to my perfect physique.” James gestured down at his body and laughed at the man beside him who scoffed loudly before catching the gaze of a stunned and silent Lily.  
A low whistle sounded through his bared teeth. “Me-oh-my Jamsie boy!” He crowed and Lily winced at the volume. “She’s a spice and a half.” He commented with a wink at Lily who could feel herself flushing.  
“Excuse me?” Lily asked and she could feel her eyebrows pulling together in annoyance.  
“Sirius shut the fuck up.” James hissed as the other two men in the room began to cackle. “Sorry. I’m the sober one.” James directed to Lily.  
“It’s fine.” Lily mumbled, looking away from James’ apologetic stare and down at the clipboard as the room was filled with the four men’s raised voices, their voices stumbling over one another.  
“So I rang your mum cause I knew she’d think this was all hilarious. Turns out I was wrong.”  
“She was screaming down the phone, she even called Sirius a twat! Can you believe it? Her favourite son a twat!”  
“I need the bathroom. I’m just gonna use your James.”  
Lily sighed as their voices continued to ring out around the small enclosed room, she looked down at her watch, 4.28am, only three and a half more hours till the end of her shift.  
“So what’s the verdict Doc?” Came the cheery voice of the one who was called Sirius.  
“Oh so you actually want to know then?” She asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
“Ooh, feisty.” He commented with a smirk and elbowed James in the side causing him to groan loudly in pain and hit out at the man beside him.  
“Am I broken?” James moaned out, his breath wheezing, as his eyes turned down and Lily found that she couldn’t stop the smile creeping onto her face as he gave her puppy eyes.  
“I need to send you down to be x-rayed but…it’s not looking great.” Lily told the room with a shrug of her shoulders.  
“Fuck!” James roared while the two other men laughed loudly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re my patient. You should be in the bed.” Lily said in an equally hushed tone, though she didn’t know why she was going along with it.  
> “Doctor Evans how forward of you.” James smirked as he passed by her and fell down into the visitors chair, leaning his head back against the wall, his long legs spread out before him.  
> “Not what I meant.” Lily hissed feeling herself flush once more, and hating herself for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so this chapter see's the end of the hospital but i'm enjoying this au a lot so there's going to be a third chapter!! I'm excited to write that so yeah! Hopefully it'll be up tomorrow or the day after. Also this chap is WAY shorter than the last one but the next one will be bulky me thinks.

Peter came out of the bathroom at that moment, whistling to himself, the sound of the flushing toilet behind him as the laughter and groan rang loudly.  
“Fix me up Doc please!” James begged from the cot he was on. “Coach is going to kill me.”  
“Not before your mum does apparently.” Remus commented and laughed along with Sirius again.  
“Got to have you checked out properly before I can fix you.” Lily tells him moving back to the end of the bed and putting the clipboard back.  
“You mean to say that, that wasn’t you checking me out before?” He fired back quickly as though it were second nature.  
Lily had to grind her teeth together to stop herself from laughing, the cheek of him.  
“A nurse will be in in five minutes to prep you for your x-ray. I’ll be back in a bit to check up on you.” Lily told him as she made her way toward the door, attempting to ignore the sniggers from the men behind her.  
She opened the door and just as she was closing it to, his warm voice rang out once more. “Thank you Doctor…?”  
Lily looked back into the room one last time and met his large brown eyes immediately, they were honest and open and she couldn’t help herself.  
“Evans. Lily Evans.” She tells him before closing the door to and heading off to organise his x-ray.

Because James Potter was a VIP in the hospital, things are rushed for him which ultimately annoys Lily but there’s nothing she can do about it, and so by 5.48am James Potter is back in his room and Lily is walking back through the now open door with his x-ray in hand.  
She taps her knuckles three times against the open door and steps through into the dangerously silent room, and she can’t quite believe what she’s seeing.  
On the single person cot are three bodies. Sirius is asleep against the pillows with his arms wrapped about Remus middle, who is fast asleep leaning back on Sirius’ chest, light snores emanating from his mouth as it hangs open. Beside them is Peter, curled up on his side into the two others, head on the pillow and shoes still on his feet curled against the bed.  
“What the fuck?” Lily whispered to the room in astonishment.  
“They were tired.” Came James’ soft voice from behind her and he was hobbling awkwardly from the bathroom, hand still holding his ribs which was covered once more with his navy shirt.  
“You’re my patient. You should be in the bed.” Lily said in an equally hushed tone, though she didn’t know why she was going along with it.  
“Doctor Evans how forward of you.” James smirked as he passed by her and fell down into the visitors chair, leaning his head back against the wall, his long legs spread out before him.  
“Not what I meant.” Lily hissed feeling herself flush once more, and hating herself for it. She really didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.  
“Don’t think I’d be up to anything strenuous anyway.” He mumbled with a cheeky smile that had Lily’s eyes zeroed in on his plump lips and her thoughts running away with her before she could get them in check.  
With a small, and hopefully subtle, shake of her head she pressed onwards with her job.  
“So as I thought you’ve got two broken ribs and there’s really only so much I can offer you in the way of help.” Lily halted in her somewhat practised speech as she noted James’ crumpled expression. He was muttering quietly to himself as his friends snored on, on his bed.  
“Sorry.” Lily mumbled before she could stop herself, the words slipping out and sounding guilty.  
“Why are you apologising?” James asked his eyes on her once more, his lips smirking and it seemed as though that was their natural state of being.  
Lily rolled her eyes at herself and scratched behind her ear in agitation. “I really don’t know.” And she didn’t. She didn’t do anything. She just…felt bad for him.  
“You didn’t push me off a piece of a canal did you? Or maybe it was just fate?” James’ voice had grown quieter again and Lily felt as though perhaps she’d misheard, but the look on his face made her feel as though she hadn’t. She could feel her whole body growing warmer under his scrutiny, her heart quickened and her blood rushed. She took her bottom lip between her teeth to worry and looked down at the x-ray still hanging loosely from her fingers.  
A grunting snore shocked her from her intense inward evaluation and made her giggle on instinct, looking to James to see him smiling widely back, the most charming smile Lily thought she’d ever seen.  
“Do you want to see your broken ribs?” She asked James moving to the small backlit projector before he answered.  
Slotting the x-ray onto the projector she heard a grunt of pain and the shuffling of feet as James got up from the chair and moved closer to her.  
“You really should be lying down.” Lily told him turning to find him closer than she’d expected, not that he was in her personal space he was just there and he really was beautiful, perhaps too beautiful.  
“I want to see what that dick did to me.” He said and moved ever so slightly closer, eyes zeroing in on the projection behind her. Lily watched how his pupils enlarged and shrunk as he tried to focus on the image before his hands came to rub at them with a moan.  
“My contacts are getting so itchy.” He grumbled, lips pouting out.  
“You wear glasses?” Lily asked, turning the projection off and leaning back against the cupboard by her hip.  
“Yeah, why do you sound so shocked?” James asked, dropping his hands from his now red and sore looking eyes.  
Lily shrugged. “Just figured that footballers were all super humans you know, in tip top health.”  
“Definitely not. I’m blind as a bat without my contacts or glasses and I can’t go anywhere without my glasses…I really hate wearing contacts.” James told her before turning back around and moving to the bed once more and as he came to the railings on the edge he reached over and began fiddling around in the pocket of the coat that was laid over Remus’ chest.  
“What are you doing?” Lily asked intrigued.  
“Getting my glasses, I told you I don’t go anywhere without them.” Remus let out a snore and swatted his hand at James as he pulled away with a “aha!” and a pair of glasses in his long fingers.  
He sat back down in the chair and promptly began to stick his finger into his eyeball to take out the contacts.  
“That’s so gross.” Lily commented with a wrinkle of her nose.  
“You’re literally a doctor, I’m sure you’ve seen far worse.” James laughed as he continued to prod at his eyes.  
“Still gross.” Lily said and grabbed the x-ray from the projector for something to do. Her hands had suddenly felt empty and were itching for something to do instead of just stare at the man with the broken ribs sat in the visitor’s chair while his friends were on the bed.  
“Unh, that’s so much better.” James declared with a sigh and Lily turned back to see him in a pair of tortoise shell glasses that sat on his nose and somehow made him seem handsomer. It balanced his face out nicely.  
“They suit you.” Lily tells him before she can stop herself and she watches in fascination as James lifts a hand to his raucous hair and runs his hands through it causing it to stand further on end and Lily feels a overwhelming urge to reach out and touch the soft looking strands herself.  
“Thanks.” James mutters and looks up from beneath his lashes, Lily notes the faint flush on his dark cheeks.  
There’s a beat of silence that fills the room and Lily doesn’t want to break it as she knows she should, she needs to tell him what to do to heal but she can’t seem to find her voice.  
“Well, I’ve just got to-.”  
“Would you maybe want to grab dinner? At some point? In the near future?” James interrupted, his voice coming out louder for the first time since she had re-entered the room and it seemed to disturb the men on the bed but Lily didn’t care.  
“Cause I just really think you’re beautiful and funny and I think we’d have a great time cause we just work for some reason….you know what I mean?” James had continued before Lily could answer, his voice sounded as though he were reasoning with himself more than Lily.  
“Yeah, I do know what you mean. And…that would be nice.” Lily replied with a grin down at him in the visitors chair.  
“Well-well that’s bloody brilliant. Wait, what’s your number? Here-.” James took his phone from his pocket and held it out for her, staying seated.  
Lily moved forward, closer to James until the toe of her shoe was almost touching his, their knees only inches apart. She took the phone from his hand, fingers brushing together gently, his skin still radiating warmth.  
Lily’s fingers quickly typed out her number and wrote Your Favourite Doctor as the contact name before quickly closing down the application and locking the phone so he wouldn’t see it straight away, somehow the thought made her blush, she’d never given her number to a patient before.  
“Text me later, after you’ve slept. Because that’s all my instructions are. Rest, no intense exercise for 3 weeks and then you’ll have to have a check up. But you’ll be sent a reminder about how and when to set that up. But yeah…don’t go doing anything stupid.” Lily was backing away, biting her lip as she did so watching his eager eyes behind the handsome glasses in the brightly lit hospital room wherein, she was sure, the other three members taking up the cot were wide awake and listening intently. “And text me when you’re feeling up to…dinner.” She turned then and opened the door as a burst of adrenaline ran through her veins at having just given out her number to someone who was that gorgeous.  
As the door was swinging closed behind her and she walked down the hall she heard a loud commotion coming from the room she had just vacated, they were whistling and howling like a bunch of twelve year olds but it only made Lily smile more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LEAVE COMMENTS PLEASE!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is crazy. I’ve never been to a fine dining place before.” Lily told James honestly, leaning her elbows onto the table to become closer to him.  
> “Me neither.” James whispered conspiratorially.  
> “Now I know that’s a lie!” Lily told him with a laugh.  
> “Damn I thought I’d get away with that.” James said, mimicking Lily’s position and leaning forward too.  
> “You literally just spoke to the waiter as though you knew him and this is your mums restaurant. I was literally speaking to her not five minutes ago.” Lily pointed out tucking some hair behind her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've never done texts on a fic before so that is new here, i don't know how i did on it lol. this is the last installment my loves!! I really love this little ficlet!!

Unknkown number, 5.45pm:   
hey  
its me  
james  
potter   
the footballer with the broken ribs  
*thumbs up*  
just to let you know I have slept  
taken my pain killers  
and am ready whenever you are  
cause i want to see you again  
please

Lily Evans, 6.02pm:  
Are you joking? I truly hope so.  
You need at LEAST three days bed rest before doing anything.

James Potter, 6.04pm:  
nah its cool im already out  
at a restaurant  
just need you  
and then it’s the date we had planned  
please come  
please

Lily Evans, 6.07pm:  
You’re ridiculous you know that right? But…yes I will come. But only because I’m starving.

James Potter, 6.08pm:  
brilliant   
i’ll send my location.  
see you soon  
Lily followed the directions on her phone to the centre of Manchester, a ten minute walk from her flat, with thoughts of self doubt fluttering around her mind as she stepped ever closer to James Potter. 

She’d been quick to dress and had panicked multiple times over what she was wearing on her journey; a simple, fitted shirt dress that buttoned down the front with a pair of sandals, a cardigan in the bag over her shoulder with her hair partly up, the rest curling about her shoulders. She had thought she looked pretty as she glanced one last time in the mirror before stepping out of the house.

But Lily Evans had seen those blasted, tabloid magazines showing girls with the perfect body on dates with famous actors and footballers in teeny-tiny dressed that hugged their most likely enhanced chests and left very little to the imagination. And that scared Lily. And she hated that it did. Why should she care whether or not she was dressed right for a date with someone famous? She was dressed nicely, just like she would have dressed for any other date. Surely that should be enough, if he really liked her, then he’d like her as is.

The evening summer sky was still bright even as the sun waned, the air still warm with a pleasant breeze blowing through the city as Lily walked, her mind reeling in anticipation as she followed the path her phone was telling her to take.  
“You have arrived at your destination.” A voice chirped from Lily’s phone and arrived she had. The restaurant looked modern and fabulous from the street, the glass windows were large and showed a large room within, in the centre stoodd a kitchen with tables of patrons surrounding the centralised kitchen. It looked fancy, a fine dining restaurant, the kind of establishment that Lily had never dreamed of stepping foot into.  
“Shit.” Now Lily did feel slightly underdressed but she was here and there really was no turning back now because she spotted a waving hand through the glass and presumed that it would be her date.  
Inside, the restaurant was furnished beautifully with modern artwork on the walls and large industrial lights hanging from the high ceiling, a bar sat to the side of the restaurant with a wall full of alcohol and smartly dressed bartenders behind it.  
Upon one of the stools was Sirius, the black haired infant-like man who had been the accomplice behind James’ trip to the hospital, It had been his hand that Lily had seen and now she wished she really had walked away.  
“Doctor Lily Evans!” He crowed loudly, causing heads to swivel in her direction as she walked over to the bar a flush filling her cheeks.  
“She’s here?” A tall woman on the stool next to Sirius asked before turning to face Lily.  
She was an older woman, grey hairs littering the black on her head, her dark skin lined slightly around her brown eyes as a joyful smile lit up her face, a smile Lily vaguely recognised.  
“Lily Evans this is Euphemia Potter, James’ mum.” Sirius’ face was alight with mischief as he introduced the two women.  
Lily was speechless as her cheeks flushed red and she shook James’ mothers hand, before even meeting him for the second time.  
“Thank you for taking care of my boys last night.” Euphemia said as she took her seat at the bar once more and gestured for Lily to join them, placing her between the two of them.  
“Yes well, they needed it.” Lily commented quickly before snapping her mouth to quickly. “Sorry.”  
“Don’t apologise dear, I know they do. They’re menaces. Especially this one.” Euphemia said while nodding her head in Sirius’ direction before sipping from her drink.  
“Oh ‘Phee you don’t mean that.” Sirius mocked and took a long slug from his own drink.  
“How are you drinking again? It’s been like,” Lily glanced at the watch on her wrist, “12 hours.”   
“Hair of the dog.” He said with a wink before downing the rest of the liquid from his glass.  
“He’s incorrigible.” Euphemia sighed with a shake of her head. “What would you like to drink Lily?” She asked.  
“Oh, um an…aperol spritz?” She asked, looking between Euphemia and the bartender.  
“Course.” The man behind the bar said.  
Lily began to dig her bag for her purse and was interrupted by a shaking finger.  
“No, no dear. No need.” Euphemia was telling her with a mischievous smile.  
“Oh I can’t let you buy me a drink.” Lily said finally grasping her purse and tanking it from her bag.  
“No really Lily. You see…this is my restaurant, you don’t owe anything.” She told her kindly, though the smile on her face was vaguely reminiscent of her sons.  
“Cheap date.” Lily noted with a grin.  
“Yeah but the foods exquisite.” Sirius said with a nudge into Lily’s side before he quickly slid from the stool and shrugged on a denim jacket. “Well best be off before I’m murdered. Hopefully see you again soon Doctor! Bye ‘Phee!” Sirius said, racing to spit out the words as he ran for the door and as she watched him leave she realised why he had departed so quickly.  
James was hobbling as fast as he apparently could, across the restaurant floor, some people looking up and pointing at him as he did so. Though the look on his face stopped anyone from stopping him. It was murderous and thoroughly embarrassed as far as Lily could tell from the flush in his cheeks.  
“Jamsie. Now don’t be angry.” Euphemia chided from beside Lily but Lily’s eyes were on James. He was better looking than she remembered, no longer with dark rings under his eyes he looked positively bright in the evening sun shining through the large windows.  
“Seriously Mum? You know you’re not meant to go along with his torture methods.” James grumbled while ruffling a hand through his hair.  
“I wanted to meet the delightful young woman James who helped patch you back up.”  
“No thanks to your other “son” who I think we should un-adopt.”   
“You know the number of times you’ve threatened that is just embarrassing.” Euphemia said with a laugh and stood from the bar stool and took James in a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek and took a hand to flatten out his raucous hair.  
“Mum.” James whines, side stepping from her and closer to Lily causing Lily to chuckle and pick up the glass that is placed down on the bar beside her elbow.  
“Fine. You look like such a ragamuffin.” She scolded before turning to Lily. “It was lovely to meet you. I hope you have a lovely night you two. I’ll see you tomorrow Jamsie, remember we’re going for breakfast.” She warns before turning and leaving through the front doors and out onto the street, looking elegant and radiant.  
“I am so, so sorry.” James whispers out as though in agony.  
Lily laughs, “Don’t be silly. They were perfectly lovely. Well your mum was at least.”  
James shakes his head and finally looks up to meet Lily’s gaze. “You look…amazing.” He sighs, his hand ruffling his hair up once more.  
“Thanks. You don’t look too shabby yourself.” Lily replies giving his pastel green shirt and light jeans an appraising glance.  
“It’s a miracle what sobering up, showering and sleeping can do for a man.” James said with a laugh and quickly had to grasp onto his side.  
“Still hurting though?” Lily asked in concern.  
“Just when pretty women make me laugh.” James replied cheekily.  
“Well I best go and tell her to stop then. Doctors orders.” Lily intoned and grinned at the loud laugh that fell from James’ lips followed by a moan of pain.  
“We really can do this another time. You should be resting.” Lily told James  
“You said you were hungry.” James says as though he’s mortally offended. “I wouldn’t ever let a woman go hungry.”   
“Actually, I think the word I used was starving.” Lily said quickly, hopping down from the stool and flattening out the skirt of her dress.  
“Well let’s go and get you fed then.” James said with a grin and began walking beside Lily through the other dining patrons, till they reached the back of the room. James pulled out a chair for Lily and then seated himself opposite her with a grunt as he adjusted his body into a comfortable position.  
“You know, I did tell you we should wait a few days before we did this.” Lily told him with a concerned stare.  
“Yeah, yeah I’ll get over it.” James replied waving his hand flippantly.  
Lily rolls her eyes at him making him chuckle as drinks menus are placed down before the two of them.  
Lily picked up the menu and gazed in horror at the list before her. “How on earth do you choose?” She asked.  
“If you’re not picky and like wine we can let Johnny here pick our wine for us with each course. Some people are snobby and like to think they know what wine would go well with each course, but this guy’s a professional and it’s way easier.” James rambled calling their waiter back to the table. “We’ll just have the recommended Johnny boy.” James said with a grin and the waiter returned the smile.   
“Of course James. Excellent choice as per usual.” Johnny said mockingly before turning away and leaving the two of them alone.  
“This is crazy. I’ve never been to a fine dining place before.” Lily told James honestly, leaning her elbows onto the table to become closer to him.  
“Me neither.” James whispered conspiratorially.  
“Now I know that’s a lie!” Lily told him with a laugh.  
“Damn I thought I’d get away with that.” James said, mimicking Lily’s position and leaning forward too.  
“You literally just spoke to the waiter as though you knew him and this is your mums restaurant. I was literally speaking to her not five minutes ago.” Lily pointed out tucking some hair behind her ear.  
“You got me.” James relented raising his hands as though giving in.  
“You must know a lot about food then?” Lily asked pulling back as two glasses of white wine were placed before them.  
“Yeah I mean I couldn’t not really. Mum thought I should know how to cook, said it was my dads greatest downfall. So yeah I can do a bit of this and that in the kitchen. But this stuff is the shit.” James told her sipping from his wine.  
“You know it says on your painkillers you’re not supposed to drink with them.” Lily chastised watching as he purposefully raised the glass to his lips once more and took a larger swig. The glass came away from grinning lips and Lily couldn’t stop her own smile.  
“What are you going to do about it doctor?” James asked, a hint of something in the tone of his voice that made Lily shift in her seat, crossing her legs and sitting up straighter.  
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She hinted before lifting her own glass to her lips and taking a gulp.  
“You really don’t put up with any shit do you?” James leant further onto the table head cocked to the side.  
“Nope.” She made the ‘p’ pop as she placed the glass back on the table and their first course was placed before them. “This looks fantastic.” Lily said in awe.  
“It will be.” James tells her grasping his cutlery and digging in.

And it was fantastic. Lily couldn’t believe the flavours that were exploding in her mouth, she couldn’t help but groan in satisfaction and watched as James perked up and flushed at the sound making her smile.  
Their conversation continued, stunted here and there by the arrival of more and more food that blew Lily away. They discussed their families and Lily found out that Sirius was actually an unofficial adoption but was basically James’ brother and had been since their time in boarding school. James’ father was a surgeon and both his parents had been exasperated when he was finally signed to a football team.  
“I was in my second year of an aero space engineers degree when I was scouted so I dropped out, against my parents wishes, but they’ve always been supportive, they just wish I’d finished uni first.”  
“So you’re like…really clever then?” Lily asked mockingly.  
“Funnily enough footballers aren’t all thick, although for the majority you are right in thinking that.” James guffawed.  
James asked about Lily’s family and her childhood, they’d grown up in totally different lives; Lily coming from a working class family and James coming from a albeit hardworking upper class family. They were very different and yet they got along so well.

In fact the meal passed at a surprising speed and suddenly Lily was being given her seventh dish of the night and it was her pudding and small glass of desert wine.  
“Don’t drink that though,” James warned grasping the hand that held her small glass.  
“Why?” Lily asked bemused, the heat of his hand sending her skin tingling.  
“It’s disgusting.” James told her, relenting his grasp and Lily ignored his advice and lifted the glass to her lips and took a delicate sip.  
“Ugh that’s vile.” She said pulling a face and taking a large bite of her chocolate pudding to rid herself of the taste.  
“I told you.” James said fondly watching her.  
“Yeah well…I’ve got try it for myself don’t I? It might have been really nice.”   
“But it wasn’t.” James pointed out with a chuckle.  
“But it wasn’t” Lily conceded and then had to stifle a yawn behind her hand.  
“Am I boring you now?” James asked with a grin. “And here I thought this had all been going so well.”  
“I don’t know whether you remember or not but I worked an entire shift at the hospital last night and had to deal with a bunch of rowdy, drunk men.” She told him quickly, licking the spoon clean.  
“True…I’d forgotten. Haven’t you slept?” He asked in concern.  
Lily smiled at the small furrow between his brows. “No, I don’t like to sleep all day when it’s my last shift. I have to get myself back into a normal routine.” She tells him.  
“I’ve slept for seven hours today.” He said worriedly.  
“Well you need to sleep. You have to let your body heal.” Lily told him seriously, leaning back in her chair and feeling exhaustion slip into her being, a result of the copious wine and food she had just consumed.  
“Let me walk you back to yours, I don’t want you falling asleep mid-step or anything like that.” James said standing from the table and giving a salute to Johnny across the room.  
“Not a chance. In fact, I’ll walk you back to yours.” Lily said standing from her seat and grabbing her bag.  
“No it’s only like five minutes from here.”   
“Good, you shouldn’t even be walking that far.” Lily said with a scowl on her face moving ahead of James to push open the door and being flashed in the face by a bright camera light going off.  
“Jesus Christ.” Lily grumbled rubbing at her eyes.  
“James!”  
“James who’s the new girl?”  
“James what do you have to say about your time away from football?”  
“Have you fallen out with Michaels?”  
Lily felt overwhelmed by the five or so people stood outside the restaurant flashing cameras in her direction and shouting questions, she fell back a step into the tall, sturdy body of James and he wrapped a hand around her wrist protectively before walking off at a speed that had to be bothering his ribs.  
“James just slow down.” Lily cautioned trying to pull back on his hold but he continued at a pace, the noise of the reporters only following them.  
“James.” Lily said tugging once more but James didn’t stop.  
“If we get back to mine they’ll leave us alone.” James said sharply continuing his war path through the sunny streets.  
His marching had Lily going at a gentle jog to keep up to his pace and her bag kept sliding from her shoulder, causing her to grasp it to her side as the continued up and down street after street until he pulled her in through a door that he had to type a quick code into before it opened. Once inside James let go of Lily’s hand and pushed the door firmly to, leaning against it with his back, hand coming to clutch at his broken ribs once again.  
“Sorry.” He panted out and Lily noted the pain etched onto his face.  
“Don’t –it’s fine. I mean I just wasn’t expecting. Great way to end a date by the way. Very dramatic.” Lily said and watched as she achieved her goal in making him smile, eyes opening to find hers.  
“You’re great.” He said softly before moving from the door and taking her hand, tugging at her till she followed him to the elevator.  
“Listen I had a great time and everything I just - I’m not going to sleep with you just yet.” Lily told him, looking to her feet.  
James laughed loudly. “No! No, no, no, no. They’re not going to disappear for a while so you may as well just come up for a brew.” He told her stepping into the elevator and leaning back against the back of it hand held out as an offering.  
“Fine.” Lily said and quickly got into the lift as the doors began to close.  
James’ flat was a lot tamer than Lily had expected, not at all flashy, just pretty normal.  
“I like your place.” Lily commented walking in and looking about nosily.  
“Thanks. Do you want tea? And do you want to watch something?” He asked as he slipped his shoes off and kicked them into a corner before padding over to the kitchen and filling up the kettle and setting it to boil.  
“Tea please, one sugar and milk.” She told him.  
“How much milk?” He asks, a concerned smile on his lips.  
“Are you testing me on how I take my tea now?” She asked him, hands raising to sit on her hips.  
“Yeah, it’s the only true way to test compatibility.” He said as he set up two mugs.  
“Not too much milk, I like it quite strong.” Lily said watching his face closely and grinned as he nodded in acceptance.  
“Very good.” He commented and finished off making them and brought them over to the sofa Lily was awkwardly stood beside, though he went straight past and took a seat, placing the two mugs down on the coffee table before kicking his feet up onto the table and grabbing a remote control.  
“Sit down.” He gestured without looking at her and yawned as the TV started up and he began flicking through the channels.  
Lily took a seat and slipped her sandals from her feet, lifting them up onto the soft sofa to the side of her and shuffling a little closer to where James was sat. He raised his arm as she came closer and rested it along the back, right along her shoulders.  
“What do you like to watch?” James asked around a yawn again as he went onto Netflix.  
“You’re watching friends?” Lily asked in shock turning to look at his bemused face.  
“Who isn’t?” He asked looking down at her, his eyes looking sleepy and soft behind his glasses.  
“True.” Lily agreed.  
“You want to watch it?” James asked settling down a little further into the squishy sofa.  
“Yeah, sounds good.” Lily agreed and the opening tones began and Lily and James hummed along happily, clapping when the moment came and laughed together softly.  
It was about half way through the episode when Lily felt her eyes drooping and her breath slowing but she was beyond caring because she was pretty sure the man she was partly leaning on was also asleep, his chest was moving deeply and he hadn’t moved in at least ten minutes and so instead of waking herself up and possibly him, she thought it best to just snuggle in a little closer, her head resting on his shoulder and closed her eyes properly, allowing the darkness to close over her as she listened to the deep breaths of James Potter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme know your thoughts!!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](https://claimingtheanonymous.tumblr.com/) | btw, come say hi!


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